- Date Of Death: September 20, 2017
- State: Michigan
Dorothy “Dot” (Ross) McKnight 74, of Gladstone, MI peacefully passed away September 20, 2017 at home surrounded by her loving family.
Dorothy was not born a “Yooper”, she was born in New York City, New York. As the daughter of a career soldier her family traveled to Europe when she was a child and settled in Lawton, Oklahoma when she was a young adult. There she met the love of her life, James McKnight, a soldier himself. With the permission of the US Army and her father they were married November 11, 1960, ninety days after their first date (blind date). She became an indoctrinated Yooper when they moved to the Upper Peninsula after Jim’s military commitment was complete, where she resided the remainder of her life.
Her generous and gentle nature of always putting others before herself endeared her to everyone she met. She was everyone’s friend, always a good sounding board without judgement. She was there when you needed her. It was these traits that made her so successful at the Delta Reporter as the editor and then at the Daily Press where she became editor of the Life Styles section. This is where she found her true calling: interviewing young or old; capturing the essence of their life and the impacts they had on the community and the world.
She also loved her church and serving in whatever capacity was needed She especially loved Christian education, teaching young and old in Sunday School, Youth group, Junior church, leading bible schools and teaching at the local and conference Bible school programs. She was an outstanding cook, an accomplished award winning writer, and also won awards for doll making, crocheting, knitting, sewing, embroidery and canning.
After retiring, she found joy in researching her family’s genealogy, tracing them back to Europe and their point of embarkation. The love of God, church, family and board games were her other passions.
Left to mourn the loss of his loving and devoted wife is her husband of 56 years; James “Jim” McKnight. To their union, they were blessed with four attentive children. Lorraine of Kalamazoo, MI; Gerald (LeVette) of O’Fallon, IL; Daniel (Amy) of Madison, WI; and Elaine of Gladstone, MI. She had five grandchildren Elijah (Triana) Riley Jr., Bethany (Andrew) Kamau, Haley McKnight, Donovan McKnight and James McKnight. She also had four great grandchildren Malachi, Elijah III and Simone Riley, and Eliana Kamau. Dot also leaves to mourn her loss a surviving sibling, her sister Linda (LeRoy) Holmes of Vancouver, WA and a host of extended family and friends whom she loved.
Her presence is gone; but her memories are life lessons and will be missed by all
